[kictanet] Elections take center-stage on the internet

Sat Feb 24 17:01:47 EAT 2007

That quite an e-mail, the details and explanations are educative.
Did you send the same to the Standard Newspapers? If you did I trust the Editor will find it necessary to apologise to readers and Kenyans.

MG
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Judy Okite 
  To: media at midafricanet.co.ke 
  Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 2:50 PM
  Subject: Re: [kictanet] Elections take center-stage on the internet

  I actually came across a very interesting link....in regards,with this matter....

  http://www.mambogani.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6273

  They key part,being:

  Folks,

  A few days ago, some sick nuthead, whom we suspect is a NARC-K sympathiser, or perhaps the latest government project, using mwaikibaki at yahoo. com address, discreetly sent e-mails to individuals who are known to support ODM-K, especially in Washington DC. The e-mails simply notified them of the following websites: Kalonzofoundation. org. and odm-kenya.org. Clicking on the Kalonzofoundation. org URL re-directs one to the Raila2007.com website, with the top browser bar showing a message that reads: "Kalonzo backs Raila". Clicking on the odm-kenya.org URL re-directs one to a Kenya government website. But a quick check reveals that neither kalonzofoundation. org belongs to Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation, nor does odm-kenya.org belong to ODM-K. Needless to say, the fraudsters are attempting to hoodwink Kenyans into believing a lie. This is only a sick prank, as none of the genuine websites have been hacked. 

  The fact is, the correct website for Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka is: www.kalonzomusyokaf oundation. org, while ODM-K's website, which is not fully developed is: www.odmk.org. None of these websites were hacked. The Standard's headline, unfortunately, is misleading. The pranksters simply registered variations of the names of the said organizations and re-directed any queries to Raila2007.com, and to the government website respectively. This is not the same as hacking. Anyone with a website can re-direct their URLs to another website. It doesn't take half-a-brain to do this. 
  The pranksters simply juggled the names and registered them. The jargon for this kind of registration is "cyber-squatting" . People register names with the hopes of cutting a cash deal with the real owners. In most cases, all the squatter needs to cough up is only $10.00 to register a domain name. It's as cheap as $2.00 with other companies. These particular dunderhead(s) registered these names with the following internet domain registrar:

  DomainsByProxy. com
  15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
  Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
  United States
  Phone:+1.4806242599

  Registration details:
  Admin Email:KALONZOFOUNDA TION.ORG@ domainsbyproxy. com
  Tech ID:GODA-116462376
  Tech Email:KALONZOFOUNDA TION.ORG@ domainsbyproxy. com
  Name Server:NS3.SECURESE RVER.NET
  Name Server:NS4.SECURESE RVER.NET
  Admin Email:ODM-KENYA. ORG at domainsbypro xy.com
  Tech ID:GODA-122841719
  Tech Name:Registration Private
  Tech Organization: Domains by Proxy, Inc.
  DomainsByProxy. com
  15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
  City:Scottsdale
  State/Province: Arizona
  Tech Postal Code:85260
  Country:US
  Phone:+1.4806242599
  FAX:+1.4806242599
  Email:ODM-KENYA. ORG at domainsbypro xy.com
  Name Server:PARK9. SECURESERVER. NET
  Name Server:PARK10. SECURESERVER. NET
  All the compainant needs to do is contact the company and file a complaint. The culprit will be smoked out and taken to court. The FBI has been on the trail of such obscure websites, some of which are used by terrorist organizations to convey coded messages. It will only be a matter of time before these ones are smoked out.

  The purpose of this infantile prank was of course meant to have the Kalonzo and Raila camps go after each other's throats. What's surprising is the shallow and very un-sophisticated manner in which it was played. It would have been laughable had it not for the fact that many gullible Kenyans will be hoodwinked into believing that this was actually the work of one ODM camp against another. It would do us all good if the Standard corrects this flawed perception that they have created. I think the newspaper should have first done a thorough investigation before splashing such a misleading headline.
  Whatever the case, the pumbavus will never succeed, and the sooner they realize this the better. Fortunately, those who received the e-mails saw through the sick jokes and decided to ignore them.
  We hope other Kenyans will equally treat them with the contempt they deserve.

  Very Best regards

  J Sang.
  Washington DC
  ============ =

  Kind Regards,

  On 2/22/07, Bill Kagai <billkagai at gmail.com> wrote:
    Hiya,

    I have received a fone call from an ODM supporter wishing to find out why their website www.odm-kenya.org is pointing to a government website. This poses a serious challenge to us in the 'internet business' with regard to whether we have secure systems in place. 

    However, upon digging a bit deeper, I have realised that possibly, this is a simple blackmail prank since the WHOIS records have not been altered and only the MX record has been changed to point the website to an innocent Govt server. Tracert'ing the address also shows that it is the admin and registrant of the website who have access to the odm website registry. I am sure many ODM supporters might be pointing a finger at Govt just because someone managed to ping the communications website and put the server address on the opposition website to create a furore and possibly make money Pablo Escobar Way. [Plata o plomo] Spanish for [silver or lead] literally meaning pay up the bribe or face assassination. 

    How do we contain these Matheri's of the internet???. Seems the games have just begun???

    -- 
    --
    With Kind Regards,
    Bildad Kagai
    MD - Circuits & Packets Communications Ltd
    Content & Training Partner - JKUAT E-Government Academy
    Suite B2, Tetu Apartments, State House Avenue
    P. O. Box 20311 - 00200
    Nairobi, Kenya
    Tel. 254 20 272 8332
    Fax. Rendered Obsolete

    URL. www.circuitspackets.co.ke
    URL. www.JKUATEgovAcademy.ac.ke 
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  -- 
  Judy Ann Okite,
  +254-721237507,+254-734252336
  P.O. BOX 2228 00100,
  NAIROBI,KENYA.

  "Even if you are on the right track, you'll still get run over if you just sit there." 

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